Rhubarb soda.. and a True Brews Giveaway!

I’ve said it before… True Brews is a totally fun book. I’m looking forward to exploring more recipes, like the hard lemonade and the hard cider… maybe even some of the beers but for right now, I’m obsessed with soda.

Last weekend, I got a pound and a half of rhubarb in my CSA and immediately thought SODA! Rhubarb is tart and we really do enjoy a less sweet soda so I thought it was perfect.

I do wish my rhubarb was more pink so that I would have a prettier juice. I actually contemplated putting some red food coloring in there. But I didn’t.

The juice sat in the fridge for a few days so the bits that didn’t filter out would settle to the bottom. Which totally worked. I just poured it out into a big bowl and let the sludge stay in the jar. I added lime juice, sugar and pitched the yeast.. then bottled it up!

Win a copy of True Brews!

No purchase necessary. This book is NOT donated by the publisher or author (I’m buying it myself.)

To enter:

Leave me a comment letting me know what you want to try making out of True Brews or why you want this book! Please be sure to fill in the email address field when you comment.

Comments will close at 11:59 pm East Coast time on Monday July 15th, 2013. Winners will be chosen at random (using random.org) and will be posted to the blog by Saturday, July 20, 2013. (Probably sooner but a gal gets busy, yanno)

20 Comments

Freakin’ awesome!! I think the color is gorgeous just as it is. I’m *so* going to try this when my rhubarb kicks in again in late summer. Oh, and don’t pick me for the giveaway as I already have a copy of the book. 🙂

I think that rhubarb soda looks wonderful. Like you, I’m looking for a less-sweet soda. They seem to be more thirst-quenching in the stupidly hot and humid weather. At least to me.
Oh, and PLEASE PICK ME!

I have been OBSESSED with these posts! I live with a chronic soda drinker who could totally benefit from a natural fizzy alternative to the chemical ridden counter sodas. Personally I am fascinated by the prospect of homemade hard cider and MEAD! *fingers crossed that she gets picked* PS: SO glad you’re posting again! ^_^

I’ve been really inspired by your soda posts! I added the book to my wishlist but haven’t picked it up yet. I’m especially interested in making Jamaican Ginger Beer or even traditional ginger ale – it has to be cheaper than buying Reed’s which is delicious but really expensive! Reed’s is my cure-all beverage, I’d love to be able to make it in-house. I’m a complete newbie when it comes to fermented drinks and this book looks like a really great guide.

After a recent exploration into making lavender lemonade, I’ve been curious to try and make different kinds of drinks. Now that I’ll be moving into a place with a larger kitchen, it’ll be delighted to finally have space to work and try new things! (and finally experiment with beer brewing)

I want to try making a soda that I can add things to to make an energy drink. My husband has health issues but continues to drink AMP soda despite knowing what’s in it! He said, that if I can make a soda that gives him the same or close boost as AMP. He’ll quit immediately! If he quits it will solve a few problems and help his ADD! Plus I want to make soda and lemonade for the whole family because we all love soda but hate what it’s made of! Thanks! The idea of being able to make one more thing that isn’t store bought is exciting!

Oh — I forgot to mention: I’ve been making my own hard cider (10 gallons at a time!) for several years now. I’ve got a whole how-to series on my blog that you might want to consult in addition to Emma’s instructions when you decide to try it.

Hi there from Barcelona. I just discovered all this brewing thing, and since I am obsessed with doing everything on my own, I HAVE to try and brew things from beer to (especially) sodas and ginger ale. I love ginger ale and it is not quite common here in Spain…

Just thinking…you could add some beet juice to the brew to see if that would give you that hot pink colour you are after naturally? It’s worth a shot. My mum made rhubarb “champagne” that was really this soda. I remember it blowing its bottles on more than one occasion and the resulting pink stickiness being like superglue to remove. Might have more than one use! Cheers for sharing this 🙂

This rhubarb soda sounds great. I tried my hand at wild fermented ginger beer, but grew some nasty slimy mold instead. I think I may have a better chance with commercial yeast. I’d love to win the book, but even if I don’t, thanks for the soda recipe!

Just beginning to try my hand at brewing. Beer and cider so far but a new world of fermentation is opening up to me and I’d love a copy of True Brews to further my new obsession. I’m using the rubarb growing in my whiskey barrel to make this delicious sounding soda this weekend! I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Hmm… I don’t know how to answer that question. The yeast will ferment at different rates depending on how much sugar in your soda, how much acidity you included and the ambient temperature of your room. That is the whole reason for using the plastic bottle as a gauge. You could, I suppose to what I read in another (older) book that suggesting capping a few smaller 8 ounce bottles and opening one after 24 hours and if it’s not carbonated enough, let them go for another 24 hours and then open the OTHER 8 ounce bottle.. mine has been done anywhere between 18 – 24 hours. My ginger all needed MUCH longer, and my watermelon mint was done in l2